Is "You Haven't Done Nothin'" Stevie's most openly political song?
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Monday, 10 October 2011 20:15 (twelve years ago) link
Maybe the most directly aimed at an individual. "Big Brother" seems a lot more overall political.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Monday, 10 October 2011 20:16 (twelve years ago) link
Hey, kornrulez, that was yours truly--I see I am in fine company myself!
― Iago Galdston, Monday, 10 October 2011 20:37 (twelve years ago) link
Yes! It should have been everybody's favorite.
But when you say they're voting wrong, they tell you they know they're voting right.
― kornrulez6969, Monday, 10 October 2011 20:42 (twelve years ago) link
Still hoping "You Will Know" will place
― Everything else is secondary (Lee626), Monday, 10 October 2011 21:19 (twelve years ago) link
If you haven't heard the bootleg of SW at the Rainbow Room, NYC in 1973, it's unsurprisingly incrediblehttp://bootlegsfrombucklberry.blogspot.com/2009/03/stevie-wonder-new-york-1973.html
― Iago Galdston, Monday, 10 October 2011 21:27 (twelve years ago) link
...Sir Duke... I've had the tune stuck in my head forever, but never actually found out what it was until this poll (I'd been 99% sure it was Stevie, I'd just never pinned it down before).
Ditto, but for Master Blaster
― Mister Potato shares Manchester United’s commitment to (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Monday, 10 October 2011 22:05 (twelve years ago) link
11. HE'S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL (Innervisions, 1973) -- 317 points, 13 votes, 2 #1 votes12. YOU HAVEN'T DONE NOTHIN' (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 278 points, 17 votes13. I BELIEVE (WHEN I FALL IN LOVE IT WILL BE FOREVER) (Talking Book, 1972) -- 274 points, 15 votes, 1 #1 vote14. IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME (Where I'm Coming From, 1971) -- 268 points, 13 votes, 2 #1 votes15. I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER (I Was Made To Love Her, 1967) -- 254 points, 15 votes16. SUPERWOMAN (WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU) (Music Of My Mind, 1972) -- 247 points, 13 votes17. WE CAN WORK IT OUT (Signed, Sealed & Delivered, 1970) -- 231 points, 12 votes, 1 #1 vote18. CREEPIN' (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 225 points, 14 votes19. MY CHERIE AMOUR (My Cherie Amour, 1968) -- 221 points, 11 votes20. THE TEARS OF A CLOWN (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Make It Happen, 1967) -- 216 points, 10 votes21. BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 204 points, 13 votes22. VISIONS (Innervisions, 1973) -- 204 points, 9 votes23. DO I DO (Original Musiquarium, 1982) -- 190 points, 10 votes, 1 #1 vote24. ANOTHER STAR (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 185 points, 7 votes25. MASTER BLASTER (JAMMIN') (Hotter Than July, 1980) -- 181 points, 8 votes26. HEAVEN IS 10 ZILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 174 points, 9 votes, 1 #1 vote27. YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE (Talking Book, 1972) -- 170 points, 11 votes28. TOO HIGH (Innervisions, 1973) -- 167 points, 14 votes29. LOVE'S IN NEED OF LOVE TODAY (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 155 points, 7 votes, 1 #1 vote30. JESUS CHILDREN OF AMERICA (Innervisions, 1973) -- 148 points, 9 votes31. LOVE HAVING YOU AROUND (Music of My Mind, 1972) -- 140 points, 7 votes32. BIG BROTHER (Talking Book, 1972) -- 140 points, 6 votes33. IT'S A SHAME (The Spinners, 2nd Time Around, 1970) -- 137 points, 6 votes34. PASTTIME PARADISE (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 135 points, 9 votes35. (tie) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (Aretha Franklin, Let Me in Your Life, 1973) -- 131 points, 7 votes35. (tie) BLAME IT ON THE SUN (Talking Book,, 1972) -- 131 points, 7 votes37. SUMMER SOFT (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 128 points, 9 votes, 1 #1 vote38. FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE (For Once in My Life, 1968) -- 111 points, 9 votes39. ALL IN LOVE IS FAIR (Innervisions, 1973) -- 103 points, 7 votes40. ORDINARY PAIN (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 100 points, 8 votes
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Monday, 10 October 2011 22:20 (twelve years ago) link
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Monday, October 10, 2011 4:15 PM (2 hours ago) Book
"Skeletons" too.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 10 October 2011 22:23 (twelve years ago) link
"It's Wrong (Apartheid)""Livin' for the City""Higher Ground"
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 10 October 2011 22:24 (twelve years ago) link
Also, "Happy Birthday" and "Cash in Your Face."
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Monday, 10 October 2011 22:33 (twelve years ago) link
Also: I'm gay, so every love song is political.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 10 October 2011 22:46 (twelve years ago) link
More like sci-fi to me. A solid match with the Clavinet lines.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Monday, 10 October 2011 22:55 (twelve years ago) link
Was out golfing, so missed today's countdown...I think four of my top five showed up today.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 October 2011 23:12 (twelve years ago) link
Alright. Last 10 coming your way momentarily.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 14:35 (twelve years ago) link
I was having a think about this last night and could only name six nailed-ons for the top ten.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 14:44 (twelve years ago) link
Oops, just noticed an error. "Misstra Know It All" got 316 points. Which only matters in that ...
10. I WISH (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 317 points, 18 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi-BUgf8Ohw
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 14:55 (twelve years ago) link
Don't all jump in with comment at once.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:08 (twelve years ago) link
One of the problems with discovering a whole body of work at once is having to remind yourself what half of these things are. I didn't vote for this. Turns out I didn't vote for a lot of things I'd thought I'd cast for.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:10 (twelve years ago) link
I always remembered the middle verse as:
"..writing something nasty on the wall (you nasty boy..)You grow up and learn that it's not the thing to dobut while you were doing it, boy did it feel good?I wish those days...."
Then I heard it again and realised I'd remembered an English version, and not the original American version!
― Mark G, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:11 (twelve years ago) link
^ OTM
Nice autobiographical lyrics - his childhood was pretty hard (just reading about his mother's first husband gives you the chills). I like this observation:
"Tryin' your best to bring the water to your eyesThinkin' it might stop her from woopin' your behind"
I also have to take a look at that Classic Albums episode - looks cool!
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:12 (twelve years ago) link
(The 'OTM' was for Ismael.)
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:13 (twelve years ago) link
Oh, and speaking of the lyrics, that line break in
Why did those days ev-er have to go
is UGLY.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:16 (twelve years ago) link
The biggest problem with that VH1 special is that the story behind the making of the album ... isn't really all that interesting.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:17 (twelve years ago) link
09. SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED I'M YOURS (Signed, Sealed & Delivered, 1970) -- 318 points, 17 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEbPHu8T5lQ
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:27 (twelve years ago) link
XP I guess they don't interview Margouleff and Cecil, who don't have a lot of good words for the album, or its production, in the biography I read.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:27 (twelve years ago) link
Man, that would've been a great get.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:30 (twelve years ago) link
There are times when I really love the sound of SITKOL, tho. I kind of like the claustrophobic, cramped mix on "Another Star."
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:31 (twelve years ago) link
Cecil has a great quote in that book, something about how Stevie didn't know how to program a synthesizer and only used factory presets on SitKoL.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:37 (twelve years ago) link
Sadly, the remainder of his career would tend to confirm that claim.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:39 (twelve years ago) link
Haha, right.
For those few lost souls who don't recognize the greatness of the early singles, here's the original version for archival purposes. And because it ROCKS of course!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inXC_lab-34
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:48 (twelve years ago) link
You don't know how close I came to posting Michael McDonald's "Signed, Sealed."
08. DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING (Innervisions, 1973) -- 337 points, 15 votes, 1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zywDiFdxopU
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:51 (twelve years ago) link
I speak VERY FLUENT SPANISH
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:52 (twelve years ago) link
I can actually lip sync to that whole bit now.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:58 (twelve years ago) link
Craigery Morgan : Kristen Wiig characters on SNL :: Me : Stevie Wonder
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:59 (twelve years ago) link
07. HIGHER GROUND (Innervisions, 1973) -- 366 points, 16 votes, 1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCPjeOPjH5Y
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:05 (twelve years ago) link
So I guess we can safely say all of Innervisions will place?
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
i voted for 7/9 of them. i approve.
― anorange (abanana), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
Now, that one would have been my Number One. Except maybe for.... (soon come, I guess)
― Mark G, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:10 (twelve years ago) link
06. GOLDEN LADY (Innervisions, 1973) -- 368 points, 16 votes, 2 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTX2Db6naaU
Good job, ILX voters. This one bobbed in and out of the top 10 for awhile. Then it began bobbing in and out of the top 5 before settling just outside. <3 all those who voted for it.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:22 (twelve years ago) link
Bleh, more album filler :)
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:27 (twelve years ago) link
I think you're kidding. But then again, you didn't vote for it.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:38 (twelve years ago) link
And I hold anyone who doesn't vote for this in suspicion.
I think it was pretty clear from the start that our tastes are not very alike ('Summer Soft'??). And I didn't vote for it because I think it's the worst song on Innervision.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:41 (twelve years ago) link
I love the bass and piano at the beginning. Like a lot of Stevie's songs from this period, it could go anywhere.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:42 (twelve years ago) link
I'm learning that other people rate Stevie's non-funk stuff way higher than I do
― unorthodox economic revenge (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:48 (twelve years ago) link
Cecil has a great quote in that book, something about how Stevie didn't know how to program a synthesizer and only used factory presets on SitKoL.― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:37 AM (1 hour ago) Sadly, the remainder of his career would tend to confirm that claim.― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:39 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:37 AM (1 hour ago)
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:39 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
But were there such things as factory presets on analog synths in 1976?
Eric H OTM. My first thought (which I think I've posted elsewhere) when I heard "I Just Called..." was, "Oh, he wrote a song around the 'demo' button on a Casio." My second was that he must've thought, "Hey, I don't have to play the drums anymore! This keyboard plays them for me!"
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:12 (twelve years ago) link
XP - If by "non-funk stuff" you mean his ballads, that's about 2/3 of his output - even on his greatest albums - right there. And if you don't love at least a few of Stevie's ballads...well I don't mean to judge, but gosh. I feel sorry for your ears.
― Melle Mel and the Coconuts (thewufs), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
"Higher Ground" = my #1. Surprised "Golden Lady" did slightly better, but I voted for that too.
Great top 10 so far.
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
I think it was pretty clear from the start that our tastes are not very alike
Um, you voted in a Stevie Wonder poll. They can't be THAT far off.
― michael assbender (Eric H.), Tuesday, 11 October 2011 17:15 (twelve years ago) link